Resumen de Presence of candida zemplinina in sicilian musts and selection of a strain for wine mixed fermentations

S. Di Maio, G. Genna, V. Gandolfo, G. Amore, M. Ciaccio, D. Oliva

• The purpose of this work was to investigate the presence of C. zemplinina yeasts in Sicifian musts and grapes and to identify strains of oenological interest. We report on the taxonomical reclassification of Candida yeast isolates from Sicifian musts and on the selection of one strain of oenological interest (Cz3), based on mixed micro-fermentation experiments in sterile Nero d'Avola musts. Our results show that Candida zemplinina is abundant in Sicifian grapes and musts, and that the Cz3 strain is suitable for Candida zemplininalSaccharomyces cerevisiae mixed fermentations. The higher glycerol content and the lower ethanol level stood out as the most promising features of the wines obtained upon sequential inoculation of the Cz3 and (S. cerevisiae) NDA21 yeast starters. We therefore have isolated a Sicifian Cz strain endowed with very promising features for the future development of mixed fermentation protocols